Container for holding and transporting materials to be held separately



Sept. 1953 M. FITZGERALD 2,651,436

CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING MATERIALS TO BE HELD SEPARATELYFiled May 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Maurzcc ['zfzgeraJJ Sept.8, 1953 M. FITZGERALD CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING MATERIALSTO BE HELD SEPARATELY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1950 ATTOR EY iii6'. a.

atented Sept. 8, 1953 CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRAN S- PORTINGMATERIALS TO BE HELD SEPARATELY Maurice Fitzgerald, Yonkers, N. Y.,assignor to Sho-Me, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication May 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,065 V 4 Claims. (01. 222-145)My invention relates to that class of devices known as containers orreceptacles to hold materials separate from each other, and moreparticularly to that class known as receptacles for batching differentmaterials.

While I do not wish to be limited thereto, my invention is particularlyuseful in the field of concrete building construction. In constructingconcrete roads and large buildings, it is customary to require that theaggregate and cement be mixed at considerable distance from the job andtransported in specially constructed trucks which are very expensiveboth to own and to operate. The work production of this expensiveequipment is largely increased and the operating periods of it arereduced materially by my invention. By means of my invention, the .dryrough components of concrete may be put in the same receptacle orcontainer in correctly measured amounts. This material, which usuallycomprises rock aggregate, sand and cement, must be held without contactuntil ready to be mixed into concrete. Because the sand or aggregate isusually wet, any contact with the cement before it is to be combinedwould adversely affect the mix. Heretofore, if the concrete was notmixed and carried to the job in a mixing truck, the laborious method ofplanting bags of dry cement and manually feeding both the sand andcement to a mixer was necessary. By means of my invention, the mixer maybe placed a matter of a few feet from the ultimate destination of thefinished concrete and there the final mixing may take place whichgreatly reduces the labor factor involved; or if the mixing trucks areto be employed their run with the concrete is so materially reduced thatthey may never have to leave the job and thus will not be required touse the roadways. This, in normal cases, obviates the necessity ofpaying State taxes on the fuel employed and the vehicles assigned thejob would not require license plates.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a receptacle fortransporting materials to be later mixed, but which it is desired toretain separated during transportation.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for such materials tobe emptied at the same time.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for one or more ofthe materials to be emptied by delayed action individually.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for such materials,when emptied, to be funnelled into the ultimate mixer.

Another object of my invention is to provide 2 means for such containersto be mounted in such funnel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means to control theflow of the materials through the funnel into the ultimate mixer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple method ofremoving and transporting the receptacles and positioning them.

.Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the funnelmay be constructed to accommodate the receptacles from the top or anyside.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyapprehended by having reference to the appended drawings in which- Fig.1 is a side perspective view partly broken away showing the receptacleof my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modified form of mounting for the receptacle of Figs, 1-2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a latch used for latching and unlatching thebottom of the receptacle;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of an assembly of funnel holding tworeceptacles in" accordance with my invention;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail View of the receptacle bottom arrangement;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of thearrangement of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a schematic top view of the funnel arrangement of my inventionwith the baifie pins omitted.

As shown in the drawings, I provide an outer container or receptacle 2of any suitable material such as steel or composition. An innerreceptacle 4 is provided which may also be of any suitable material andwhich may be attached to the outer receptacle 2 in any desired manner. Iprefer to attach the inner receptacle 4 to one side of the container 2as shown. As many inner.

receptacles as desired may be mounted therein, I have shown only one. Iprovide a bottom 5 for the container 2 which may be connected to abottom 8 of the container 4 in any suitable manner so as to operate thebottom 8 simultaneously with the bottom 6. The bottoms 6 and 8 aremounted on spaced parallel axes. The motion of the bottoms 6 and 8 ispivotal or rotary as both bottoms are pivoted to swing about axes thatare parallel. The pivotal mountings are on the same side of therespective containers 2 and 4 and the means pivotally connected to thefree edges of both bottoms 5 and 8 enables said bottoms to swing inunison and through equal angular displacements. In practice I have foundas a satisfactory arrangement, a stop Iii attached to the bottom 6 bymeans of rivet or bolt l2. In this arrangement I provide a swivel pin Hito hold a spacer-bar 16 to a similar stop I attached to bottom 8 bymeans of a rivet or bolt l2 and holding a swivelpin l4.. In this manner,when the lower bottom 6 is moved, the bottom 8 is also moved and to thesame degree. I

provide a plurality of pallets or ribs 58 on the pending the receptacle2. Itis clear that while I have shown the angle members 28 at the top ofthe receptacle 2, these angle members may be positioned at anyconvenient place along the sides of the receptacle and may also be inthe form of the ribs 18 if desired.

I provide a head 22 on the upper side of the bottom 6 so that when thebottom is in a closed position, any fine particles will not sift out.

If itis desired, a bail'or the like id may be provided for carrying thereceptacle This bail may be attached as shown in Fig. 3 at the top ofthe receptacle or it may be otherwise positioned as in Fig. 8intermediate the sides thereof. In this disclosure, it may be desired toprovide a simple latch means such as indicated generally as 28 forholding the bottoms sealed. As clearly seen from Fig. 8, I provide apair of arms 54 attached by any suitable means to the bottom 5ofcontainer 2. Knobs 56 or'any other suitable means may be provided toaccommodate the sling of a crane, or a bail such as bail 2 5 in Fig. 3.When employing this means, I prefer that the receptacle 2 be positionedby the angle members 29 on the frame 53 by coacting supporting anglemembers 42, and when ready to empty the receptacle 2 the bail or slingmay be lowered as desired and thus the bottom 6 will open. As heretoforeexplained, I provide that the inner bottom door 8 may co-act with bottom6.

The inner receptacle 4 may be so located that its bottom is formed bythe closing of the door 6 which also forms the bottom for receptacle 2.If this embodiment of my invention is employed, the spacer-bar i6 andits attachments will not be required.

The bottoms 6 and 8 may readily be operated separately if desired.

I provide a hopper funnel 3 with a frame 3.3 and a hopper 35 made ofsuitable material such as metal, wood or composition. This hopper funnel30 may be of any desired size; I prefer to have it of sufl'icient sizeto hold the contents of two receptacles. The hopper 35 has a funnelportion 32 adapted to feed the contents of the receptacles into a mixingmachine as shown in Fig. 5. Just above the funnel portion 32 I provide aplurality of baffles or pins 34 suitably mounted on spreader bars 36. Iincline these baflies or pins 34 so that when the material is droppedfrom the containers 2 and i, it will strike these baffles or pins 34inducing a simple stirring action to pre-mix the separated materialswhich are falling simultaneously. A gate 38 of any desired size orconstruction may be provided at the orifice 39 of the funnel portion 152to control the flow of materials. I provide reinforcing angle members 42on the hopper frame; 46 adapted to cooperate with the angle member's 29on the receptacle 2 and hold the receptacle suspended inside the hopper.As shown in Fig. 5, I provide that the hopper funnel 36 may be'enteredfrom the side or the top. When entered from the side, it is apparentthat the forks of'a fork-lift, which raises the receptacle 2 andpositions it in the hopper so that the angle members. it rest on theangle members 1. 2, will allow the bottom 6 and therefore the bottom 8to open as the forks are. lowered. If a crane is employed :as indicatedin. Fig. 8, the control of the bottom '6 may be either by the means ofthe latch 28 or thebail maybe lowered as described above. If desired,the bottom 8 may rest on the upper side of the bottom 6 and thus open asthe bottom 6 is lowered.

The hopper frame 46 is constructed sufiiciently strong to support watercontainers and Water heaters. These are particularly useful when myinvention is employed to carry batches of aggregate and cement in themaking of concrete. When employing my invention for carrying aggregateand cement, I provide that thereceptacles 2 and G are of a predeterminedsize so that the correct amount of cement may be'placed in container Ato match the correct amount of aggregate in receptacle 2 to form acomplete batch. If desired, as mentioned above, an additional innercontainer to hold sand or the like maybe provided. The receptacles maythen be filled and lifted by means of a fork truck, an overhead crane,monorail, locomotive crane or the like, onto a truck trailer, asemi-trailer, a flat-bed truck, flat car or the like. The ribs It areparticularly helpful in looking thereceptacles in place. For thispurpose other matching beads or ribs may be positioned in thetransporting vehicle in such a manner as to be in juxtaposition with theribs 18' and thus hold the receptacles. The means for accomplishing thisare so well known that I have merely described one, but it is clear thatany suitable looking or holding device may be employed. Upon arrival atthe job, the receptacle is lifted off the vehicle and transported to thehopper-funnel as, where, as explained hereinbefore, it may be positionedfrom any side or from the top. In practice I prefer to have thehopper-funnel 38 so constructed that only the funnel part M is enclosed.The upper frame 46 may be suitably constructed of steel and may bespaced at the top by channel beams 48 or the like as shown in Fig. 9. Inthis manner I have provided a structure which will hold one or morereceptacles in position for dumping the contents thereof into the funnel35. I provide upright sides '58 attached to the funnel 35 of sufficientheight to hold the entire contents of at least one receptacle.

I provide a lower frame generally designated as 52 which may be ofsufficient size to allow a mixing machine to be run under it. Inpractice I have found that this frame 52 may berconstructed in such amanner that it is readily dismantled and erected as desired. I prefer touse the pipe and sleeve-lock currently employed in repair frame work,but I do not wish to be limited thereto. If it is desired to constructmy hopper funnel as a portable structure, it is clear that the entireframe work may be adapted to be assembled with drift-pins which arereadily removable When it is desired to move the installation.

fhen employing my invention for concrete mak- 'ig, I have found itdesirable to provide heating lIls when the working temperature sorequires. I have found it convenient to construct simple -e racks forholding the receptacles while waitto place them in the hopper-funnel.These fa ks are then connected to a source of steamer h Jt water and thecontents of the receptacles .re maintained above a freezin temperature.he heating pipes may be formed to surround the receptacles or may besimply connected to a manifold and become racks which are heated.

With the addition of water tanks and heating means for the water, myinvention has become peculiarly well adapted to all fields ofconstruction employing concrete.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. A receptacle for holding materials separately comprising, an outercontainer, an inner container, said inner container attached to one sideof said outer container, a bottom hinged to said outer container, abottom hinged to said inner container, means extending in asubstantially vertical plane and interconnecting said bottoms to causeboth bottoms to swing in unison, means on said outer container to holdsaid inner container in a vertical plane, means on the bottom of saidouter containers to prevent said materials from seeping outwardly, andmeans on the bottom of said outer container to prevent side motion ofthe receptacle.

2. A receptacle for holding materials separately comprising, an outercontainer, an inner container, said inner container attached to one sideof said outer container, a bottom hinged to said outer container, abottom hinged to said inner container, means interconnecting saidbottoms comprising a substantially vertically extending bar pivotallyconnected at one end with the lower surface of the bottom of said innercontainer and. at the other end with the upper surface of the bottom ofthe outer container to cause both bottoms to swing in unison, means onsaid outer container to hold said inner container, means on the bottomof said outer container to prevent said materials from seepingoutwardly, and means on the bottom of said outer container to preventside motion, of the receptacle.

3. A multiple section receptacle for holding materials separatelycomprising an outer container, an inner container supported by saidouter container, said containers each having a discharge aperture,bottoms for the discharge apertures of each of said containers mountedon spaced substantially parallel axes on the same side of the respectivecontainers and pivoted to swing about said axes, and means pivotallyconnected adjacent to the free edges of both of said bottoms forswinging said bottoms in unison through substantially equaldisplacements for opening and closing the discharge apertures of therespective containers, said means comprising a substantially verticallyextending link pivotally connected at one end with the lower surface ofthe bottom of said inner container and pivotally connected at theopposite end with the upper sur face of the bottom of said outercontainer, said link ofiering no appreciable obstruction to thedischarge of materials from the two containers. 4. A multiple sectionreceptacle for holding materials separately comprising an outercontainer, an inner container supported by said outer container, saidcontainers each having a discharge aperture, bottoms for the dischargeapertures of each of said containers mounted on spaced substantiallyparallel axes on the same side of the respective containers and pivotedto swing about said axes, and means pivotally connected adjacent to thefree edges of both of said bottoms for swinging said bottoms in unisonthrough substantially equal displacements for opening and closing thedischarge apertures 01 the respective containers, said means comprisinga substantially vertically extending link pivotally connected at one endwith the lower surface of the bottom of said inner container andpivotally connected at the opposite end with the upper surface of thebottom of said outer container, said link extending through said outercontainer and terminating beneath said inner container. MAURICEFITZGERALD.

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